Monday, April 30, 2012

As record labels explore the cost effectiveness of the MP3 format, many are digging deep into their archives to find recorded material to re-issue from previous CD incarnations or in some cases for the first time since their original LP release. Click on the Amazon widget to hear MP3 audio samples.

Friday, April 27, 2012

"Join in the Last Night of the Proms celebrations in Hyde Park, as pop superstar Kylie heads a spectacular line-up including English tenor Alfie Boe, operatic pop group Il Divo and the London Community Gospel Choir, with Proms in the Park favourites the BBC Concert Orchestra. Sir Terry Wogan presents the festivities." [Source]

"George Cowan, a chemist who influenced everything from the Manhattan Project and the hunt for evidence of the Soviet Union's first nuclear tests to the iconic Santa Fe Opera, died Friday at his home in Los Alamos. He was 92....Enloe ticked off a list of Cowan's accomplishments that ranged from his scientific accolades and the start of the scientific think tank to the early childhood development programs in New Mexico that he influenced....Then there was Cowan's love of travel, food, wine and music. He served on the board of the Santa Fe Opera and was the first treasurer of the opera's foundation. The venue today draws thousands of visitors from around the world to its unique outdoor stage." [Source]

TV and radio personality Ryan Seacrest is scheduled to serve as special guest host for Cincinnati Opera's Saturday, June 19 Gala Concert at Music Hall. Seacrest, who is best-known as the host of the highly-rated American Idol, will appear in person at Music Hall for the celebratory event. 'Ryan Seacrest is one of the finest and best loved television hosts,' said Cincinnati Opera's Artistic Director Evans Mirageas. 'His work on American Idol is inspiring, and his personal passion for music is clear. We're thrilled that he'll be joining us to lead our anniversary celebration.' [Source ] Read about the prestigious guest list for the event after the jump.

Monday, April 23, 2012

As record labels explore the cost effectiveness of the MP3 format, many are digging deep into their archives to find recorded material to re-issue from previous CD incarnations or in some cases for the first time since their original LP release. Click on the Amazon widget to hear MP3 audio samples.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

The tenor with Woody Allen and Judy Davis(Photo: Philippe Antonello/Photomovie)

"In the latest stop on Woody Allen’s cinematic tour of Europe, the Eternal City clichés are laid on as thick as a Quattro Stagione pizza topping. Lovers romance amidst atmospherically-lit ruins; Vespas buzz past al fresco trattoria tables; the cutting-edge soundtrack opens with Volare, and a humble traffic policeman has an apartment overlooking the Spanish Steps (presumably he won the lottery, but likes his job too much to quit). There are times when it makes Roman Holiday look like a neo-realist classic. In the end, though it has a certain charm, To Rome With Love is little more than a travel brochure with jokes. That said, the multi-stranded To Rome With Love is a likeable enough capriccio, with much of the pleasure coming from watching an all-star cast enjoying themselves like kids at the back of the bus. But it’s not Midnight in Paris, lacking the high-concept premise and the plausible relationship dramas that gave that equally soft-focus paean to the French capital a certain dramatic heft, and helped to turn it into Woody’s biggest ever box-office result. If that was Four Weddings And A Funeral, this is Love, Actually: a chocolate assortment where everyone is sure to find a flavour they like, and if they don’t they can always admire the packaging. Allen’s latest premiered in Italy a good two months before its debut in the US (where Sony Pictures Classics will give it a limited release on 22 June, a week after the film does the opening honours at the Los Angeles Film Festival). This has a lot to do with the muscle of majority backer Medusa Film, but is hardly calculated to give the film a good send-off, given the Italian critics’ predictably lukewarm reception to a film that was widely

O Sole Mio??

dismissed for peddling outdated Dolce Vita stereotypes....First up is the tale of Hayley (Pill, who played Zelda Fitzgerald of Midnight In Paris), a lone American turista in Rome who finds herself a fiancé when she asks Michelangelo (Parenti) a handsome, politically committed young Italian architect, the way to the Trevi Fountain. Allen and Judy Davis play the bride-to-be’s New Yorker parents, while opera tenor Fabio Armiliato puts in a sparkling performance, at the centre of one of the film’s more inspired comic scenarios, as the future bridegroom’s father – an undertaker with a talent for singing in the shower." [Source] Trailer is after the jump.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

In season 1 episode 4, character Gigi Stopper, played by Annie Potts, throws a party for some old friends with the theme of everyone coming as their favorite Texan. Who better to provide the costumes than the Dallas Opera? In turn Gigi will be providing the funds to ensure that the upcoming production of Aida will have live elephants. Guest stars include Bruce Boxleitner and Donna Mills (as Barbara Bush in the above photo). Watch the full episode here.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

"Tired of chasing Ken, Paul meets him one last time before leaving on a journey to Europe in search for a better place to dream and love. The film explores the love and relationship struggles of Asian gay men caused by social constraints. It describes their aspirations for Europe, where there is a culture of acceptance and open-mindedness, as well as support from governments in the form of legal same-sex partnerships. Nessun Dorma is a famous aria from Puccini's opera Turandot that depicts an unknown prince's unrequited love to a beautiful but cold princess. In the film, the aria is used to mirror Paul's wailing for a love that cannot be fulfilled. This short film is submitted by Ronald Genato." Learn more about the Asia-Europe Foundation contest by clicking here. Watch the video after the jump. [Source]

Monday, April 16, 2012

As record labels explore the cost effectiveness of the MP3 format, many are digging deep into their archives to find recorded material to re-issue from previous CD incarnations or in some cases for the first time since their original LP release. Click on the Amazon widget to hear MP3 audio samples.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Born 1979 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, soprano Mercedes Arcuri began her vocal studies at age 15 with Inés Dupen and later worked with Horacio Amauri. She continued her musical training by studying conducting at the Universidad Católica Argentina and went on to study voice at the Instituto superior de arte del Teatro Colón. In Argentina she has sung on the most important stages of theaters such as Salon Dorado del Teatro Colón, Teatro Avenida, and Teatro San Martin, among others. She took part in several master classes with in several of Monique Zanetti’s master classes dedicated to French Baroque repertoire. In 2003, she

moved to Madrid, Spain, where she participated in several master classes with Teresa Berganza, José Van Dam, Robin Bowman, Jean-Pierre Blivet, Ana Luisa Chova, and Ruben Fernandez Aguirre. In Spain, she performed at the Teatro Real in Tardes con Donizetti (2004) and Rossiniana alta en calorias (2007, 2009), both written and conducted by Enrique Viana. She has performed in Don Pasquale by Donizetti at El Círculo de Bellas Artes (Madrid), Cosí fan tutte by Mozart at the Teatro Principal (Castellón de la Plana), Marina by Emilio Arrieta at the Teatro Colón (La Coruña) and at the Festival Nacional de Zarzuela (Arnedo), La Infanta de los bucles de oro by José Serrano at the Palau de la música (Valencia), Die Zauberflöte at the Teatro Cervantes (Málaga), and more from Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice at Euskalduna Theatre (Bilbao). At the Auditorio Nacional of Madrid, she sang soprano soloist in Orff’s

Carmina Burana with the Orfeon Donostiarra Chorus, participated at the Spanish première of The Magic Opal by Isaac Albeniz, sang in a concert organized by the Teatro Real in Madrid for European Opera Day and was soloist at the Opera and Zarzuela Gala 2009 in Spain with the Orquesta de Radiotelevisón Española conducted by Adrian Leaper. She has been a finalist in many singing competitions such as Luis Mariano (2007), Concours de Chant de Marmande (2008), won the 2nd prize in the International Singing Contest of Logroño in Spain, was awarded with two scholarships offered by Maestro Dalton Baldwin on the Francisco Viñas’ Competition (2008) and the 3rd Price on the International Singing Competiton in Zamora, Spain. In 2008 she won a Scholarship from the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares for a workshop in stage performance for opera singers with Gian Carlo del Monaco where she performed the "Mad Scene" from Lucia di Lammermoor. Her operatic repertoire includes

Marie (La Fille du Régiment), Amore (Paride ed Elena), Madame Herz (Der Schauspieldirektor), Blondchen (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Gilda (Rigoletto), as well as many sacred works such as Mozart’s Requiem, Saint-Saëns’ Messe de Noël, Bach’s Magnificat, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and more. Her interest in baroque music led to performances with La Capilla Real de Madrid, conducted by Oscar Gershenshon, whom she has performed Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, Charpentier`s Messe de Minuit, Händel´s Foundling Hospital Anthem at the Palau de la música (Barcelona) and a South American Tour in 2007 organized by the Mozarteum foundation (Brasil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay). She performed with Sphera AntiQva, conducted by Javier Illán and Pablo Gutierrez, whom she toured with in April 2010 for the Festival de las Misiones de Chiquitos in Bolivia. She has given many recitals dedicated to bel canto repertoire at the Auditorio Conde Duque with

pianist Manuel Burgueras and has given concerts dedicated mainly to the French chamber music repertoire with pianist Laurence Verna. The soprano's 2011-12 season included her debut in L’enfant et les sortilèges (Ravel) with Teatro del Canal in Madrid and Teatro Arriaga in Bilbao, a co-production with the Atelyer Lyrique de L’opera de Paris and Teatro Liceu de Barcelona, conducted by Didier Puntos and Jean Liermier. She sang Gilda in Rigoletto with Théâtre Roger Barat d’Herbay in Paris under the baton of Jean-Luc Tingaud, Gerhilde in Die Walküre at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville with La Fura dels Baus conducted by Pedro Halffter. Her upcoming appearances will

include her debut at London's Händel Festival in Delirio Amoroso with The International Baroque Players conducted by Johannes Pramsholer, Ravel's L’enfant et les sortilèges and Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg at the Opera de Lyon with Martyn Brabbins as a conductor and Grzegorz Jarzyna as stage director, and her debut at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence also with L’enfant et les sortilèges [a production that will be done in many music festivals around Europe including Les Jardin Musicaux in Cernier, Switzerland, and a European tour in 2013]. She will also appear in recitals around Spain accompanied by Maestro Borja Mariño. The 2012-2013 season will include her debut at the Wexford Opera Festival, as Minka in Le roi malgré lui by Chabrier, under the baton of Jean-Luc-Tingaud and stage conductor Thaddeus Strassberger.[Source, Source, Source]

Saturday, April 14, 2012

From the zarzuela El Barbero De Sevilla (libretto by Guillero Perrin & Miguel Palacios and music by Gerónimo Giménez & Miguel Nieto) comes this delight. Now decide who does your favorite rendition from these inspired performances:

Thursday, April 12, 2012

"For most New York opera-goers, Ailyn Pérez may not be a name that's instantly recognized, but it should be. The 32-year-old soprano has been cleaning up on the awards front—as of this morning, she's the 2012 recipient of the Richard Tucker Award, named after the late American tenor and given annually to a singer 'at the threshold of a major international career.' And with a resume that has paired her with the likes of Plácido Domingo (La Scala’s Simon Boccanegra), Rolando Villazón (Salzburg’s Romèo et Juliette) and her husband, tenor and 2009 Richard Tucker Award-winner Stephen Costello (the two recently sang La traviata together at Covent Garden, with Pérez performing on two days’ notice), it’s safe to bank on the fact that Gotham will be seeing more of Pérez soon, even with a Met debut planned for an upcoming season. Fresh from her own notification about the award, Pérez, the daughter of factory workers, took some time to give Operavore an exclusive interview on being the first Hispanic singer to win the award in its 34-year history. She also discussed her road to musical joy and moonlighting as a judge on the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. No rest for the weary, however: on Thursday, she sings Poulenc’s Gloria with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra." [Source] Read the whole interview by clicking here.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Mr. Inzerillo with his wife, Prudence, at theNew York City Opera Gala in 2008.

"IMG Artists, a major representative of classical musicians, on Wednesday named a hotel and resort company executive, Jerry Inzerillo, as its new president and chief executive. Mr. Inzerillo comes to IMG from the Kerzner International Group, where he is president of the Kerzner Entertainment Group and responsible for 'building brand awareness' among 'celebrities, VIPs and the entertainment world' and organizing opening extravaganzas, according to the Kerzner Web site. He has also been president of the company that became Ian Schrager Hotels. IMG said that Mr. Inzerillo arrives as part of the agency’s effort to expand beyond managing artists, including arranging cultural events and 'lifestyle festivals,' advising governments on how to raise the profile of cultural offerings and helping run performing arts centers. IMG’s clients include Joshua Bell, Leif Ove Andsnes, Renée Fleming and Ben Heppner, according to its Web site. The previous IMG president, Jeff Fuhrman, will remain as an adviser, IMG said." [Source]

As record labels explore the cost effectiveness of the MP3 format, many are digging deep into their archives to find recorded material to re-issue from previous CD incarnations or in some cases for the first time since their original LP release. Click on the Amazon widget to hear MP3 audio samples.

Monday, April 2, 2012

As record labels explore the cost effectiveness of the MP3 format, many are digging deep into their archives to find recorded material to re-issue from previous CD incarnations or in some cases for the first time since their original LP release. Click on the Amazon widget to hear MP3 audio samples.

"Just a few years ago Noah Stewart was working as a receptionist in a concert call, humming loudly as he worked in the hope that a passing impresario might recognise the power of his voice. Born to a single mother in Harlem, New York, the tenor was struggling to realise his dream of becoming a professional opera singer in a notorious competitive industry. But yesterday Stewart was relishing the honour becoming the first black musician to top the British classical music charts, with his debut album Noah. With a stint at the Royal Opera House already his belt and a UK tour to follow, international stardom beckons. 'I can’t really believe it,' he said yesterday. It was only three years ago that I remember hearing talk like ‘did you hear about Noah? Is he still singing?’ People gave up on me entirely. So it’s hard to believe that I’m sitting here with all this going on.' Stewart's is a classic rags to riches story, with a couple of jumps between the two in between. Raised, along with his sister, by his mother, Patricia, in Harlem, New York, Stewart always knew he could sing. As his mother worked tirelessly to put food on the table and support him, he won his first competition aged 12, and enrolled in LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts in New York. His love of opera began when he began watching a recording every day before classes of Verdi’s Requiem. Inspired by the black soprano Leontyne Price, he recognised how far he might go." [Source] Read more about Noah Stewart at Decca Records by clicking here and purchase the album by clicking here. A music video performance is after the jump.